STAND. COM. REP. NO. 395

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2019

RE: H.B. No. 1403

H.D. 2

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirtieth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2019

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Energy & Environmental Protection, to which was referred H.B. No. 1403, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO HOUSING,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to require the counties to implement a streamlined permit approval process, including an exemption from the environmental impact statement requirement, for certain affordable rental housing development projects that commence between July 1, 2019 and July 1, 2026.

The Building Industry Association of Hawaii, The Chamber of Commerce Hawaii, and an individual supported this measure. The Department of Planning and Permitting of the City and County of Honolulu and Sierra Club of Hawai‘i opposed this measure. The Office of Environmental Quality Control, Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corporation, Faith Action for Community Equity, and an individual provided comments.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Changing the time period for counties to render a disposition on a permit application for a project to within sixty days of submission of a completed permit application and full payment of any application fee, rather than thirty days;

(2) Requiring that projects proposed pursuant to this measure:

(A) Conform with existing state land use classifications;

(B) Be consistent with existing county zoning classifications that allow housing; and

(C) Not require variances for shoreline setbacks or siting in an environmentally or culturally sensitive area;

to be eligible for county approval;

(3) Providing that the exemption from the environmental impact statement requirement shall be repealed upon the adoption of administrative rules by the Department of Health updating rules regarding exemption from environmental impact statement requirements; and

(4) Changing its effective date to July 1, 2100, to encourage further discussion.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Energy & Environmental Protection that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1403, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it be referred to your Committee on Finance in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1403, H.D. 2.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Energy & Environmental Protection,

____________________________

NICOLE E. LOWEN, Chair